Heater footstool



Dec. 27. 1955 D. w. WHITLOCK HEATER FOOTSTOOL Filed Aug. 16, 1954 35 4546 13 37 0 1 16.8. 1: o Q Q I .31 N 4 31!: 34c 11 70 K33 "wdw FIG. 6.

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent HEATER FOGTSTOOL Dean W. Whitlock, Rising Sun, Ind.Application August 16, 1954, Serial No. 450,060 7 Claims. (Cl. 219-19)This invention relates to a heater footstool, in other words to afootstool which incorporates a heating element so that the feet of theuser resting on the footstool will be warmed.

It is well known in medical circles that a large percentage of peopleabove middle age suffer from peripheral circulatory deficiency with theresult that such people continually suffer from cold feet and hands. Itis of course possible to warm the feet by sitting in front of a fire butthe temperature in front of a fireplace varies and it is inconvenient tohave to shift ones chair to compensate for changes in temperature.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention toprovide a footstool in which a heating element is incorporated so thatthe user may sit in a comfortable chair with his feet on the footstooland the feet will be warmed to any desired constant temperature.

It is an other object of the invention to provide a device as outlinedabove which will be entirely safe so that there is no danger from fireeither by ignition of the footstool itself or the upholstery thereof orthe floor or rug upon which the footstool rests.

These and other objects of the invention which I shall disclose ingreater detail hereinafter or which will be apparent to one skilled inthe art upon reading these specifications, I accomplish by that certainconstruction and arrangement of parts of which I shall now disclosecertain exemplary embodiments.

Reference is made to the drawing forming a part hereof and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a heater footstool according to theinvention.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the same.

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the same as seen from the rightend of Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1 onan enlarged scale.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of the top member to the same scale ofFigures 1 to 3.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the grille member on a greatlyenlarged scale.

Figure 8 is a wiring diagram of one embodiment, and

Figure 9 is a wiring diagram of another embodiment.

Briefly, in the practice of my invention I provide a footstool ofgenerally conventional appearance. The footstool may be made of thefinest wood, such as walnut or mahogany and may be upholstered in fineleather or plastic material or fabric, as desired, so that the devicemay be made to fit with any decorative scheme desired. It will of coursebe understood that the device may be made in the cheapest possiblemanner of sheet metal construction and upholstered with inexpensivematerials so that it may be produced for the mass market as well as forthe luxury trade. A portion of the top of the footstool will be in theform of an ornamental grille and under the grille within the stool thereis provided an electrical heating element and a chimney structure andother safety structure which will be described in greater detail.

Referring now specifically to the drawing, the general appearance of thefootstool may be as shown in Figures l to 3. It will of course beunderstood that the specific configuration or style is not a limitationupon the present invention so that the showing of the footstool itselfmay be considered to be exemplary only. In the particular embodimentshown, the footstool has four leg members 10 which are connectedtogether by lower longitudinal rails 11 and lower transverse rails 12,upper longitudinal rails 13 and upper transverse rails 14. The topmember is indicated generally at 15 and carries a grille member 16through which heated air may issue. The device is connected to anelectrical outlet by means of the plug 17 and cord 18 and a controlmember 19 is provided at one end of the stool.

In the particular embodiment shown, the top member is separate and asbest seen in Figures 4, 5, and 6, it comprises the longitudinal railmembers 20 and transverse rail members 21. Within the frameworkconstituted by the members 29 and 21 there is provided a supplementaryframe, best seen in Figure 6, comprising the members 22 and 23. Betweenthe members 21 and 22 the upholstery material 24, with suitable padding25, is provided. The top member is secured to the framework constitutedby the rails 13 and 14, in conventional manner. Generally speaking, inthe structure of the footstool conventional cabinet making practices maybe observed.

Extending between the members 22 and in the particular embodiment shown,extending across the entire width of the stool, is the grille 16. FromFigures 4 and 5 it will be noted that the frame members 22 and 23 arecovered with a heat insulating material such as asbestos, as indicatedat 22a and 23a. The grille 16 is therefore in sulated from the rails 22and 23. The grille itself may be of any desired ornamental or decorativeappearance, as for example as shown in detail in Figure 7.

A supporting structure for the heating element and the flue is providedwithin the footstool. In the particular embodiment illustrated, thereare provided two bars 30 disposed in spaced relation, extending betweenthe lower rails 11 and secured thereto. A screen member 31 rests on thebars 30 and a transverse supporting bar 32 extends between the bars 30and is secured thereto by the bolts 33. Insulating blocks 32a areprovided to insulate the member 32 from the screen and the members 30.The heating element indicated generally at 34 is secured to thetransverse rail member 32 by means of a bolt 35 and it is insulated fromthe bar 32 by means of a piece of heat insulating material 36.

The heating element which I have indicated generally at 35 does notitself form a part of the invention but it may comprise conventionalelectrical resistance wire seated in grooves in a ceramic piece.

A flue member 37 rests on the screen member 31 around the heatingelement 34 and extends upwardly into the space between the frame members22 and 23. In the particular embodiment shown, the fiue member iscylindrical and its external diameter is such that it is snugly retainedwithin the square space defined by the inner surface of the members 22and 23. The flue member 37 is made from some fireproof material such asasbestos material or the like.

In order that the radiant heat from the heating element 34 not impingedirectly upon the feet of the user, I prefer to provide a bafile member38 mounted by means of wires 39 and 40 on the flue member 37. The member38 is preferably substantially of the same size and configuration of theheating element so that the direct radiant rays are shielded and so thatconvection currents will be established around the bafile.

Beneath the supporting structure for the flue and the heating element Iprovide a-tray 41 of fireproof material. This may be .a ceramic shinglematerial or the like. The tray 41 is secured to the lower rail members11 as seen in Figure 5. Preferably the tray member 41 will be coveredwith .a layer 42 of metallic'foil. The dimensions of the tray 41 will besuch that it extends in all directions beyond the vertical projection ofthe flue, so that if a piece of paper .or the like :should fall throughthe grille 16 and be .ignited by the heatiugelement 34 and fall throughthe screen member 31, it cannot fall upon the floor or the rug but willhe caught on the tray 41.

With the structure as described and with the heating element energizedby electric current, a convection current is set up following the linesof the arrows of Figure 4. Air ,is drawn in between the tray 41 and theflue 3'7 and is heated by the heating element and flows upwardly throughthe hue and around the bafile 38 and through the grille 16. The battle33 permits this convection flow while shielding the feetof the user fromdirect radiation.

In Figure 8 I have indicated diagrammatically the heating element .34and a thermostatic element 45 together with a control knob 46 by meansof which the thermostatic element can be set to maintain any desiredtemperature. In Figure 9 l have shownan arrangement where the heatingelement comprises, for example, three elements 34a, 34b, 34c, andwherein a sector type of switch d7 may be employed toenergize any numberof the elements concurrently to provide a desired amount of heat.

It will be seen that I have provided a simple heater footstool so thatthe feet of the user may be warmed while resting in a comfortableposition. It will further have been observed that the structure isfireproof so that there is no danger of setting on fire either thefootstool itself or -a .fioor or floor covering thereunder.

It will be understood that numerous modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and I therefore do not intendto limit myself otherwise thanas set forth in the claims which .follow.

Having now fully described my invention, .what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a footstool having a frameworkcomprising lower rails .and upperrails secured to leg members, supporting means associated with saidlower rails, an electrical heating .element secured to, and insulatedfrom, said supporting means, a flue member of fireproof material restingon said supporting means and surrounding said :heating element, meansassociated with said upper rails for snugly retaining Ithe .upper end ofsaid flue ,member, a grille secured to said upper rails over said flue.member and insulated from said rails, a tray member of fireproofmaterial beneath said supporting means and heating elementandoverlappingthe vertical projection .of said flue member in alldirections, and means tor connecting said heating element to anelectrical outlet.

2. In a footstool according to claim 1 a bafiledisposed in said flue,said baffle being of such size and configuration that its verticalprojection is at .leastcoextensive with said heating element.

3. A footstool according to claim l, wherein thermostatic means areprovided to control the temperature of said heating element. 7

-4. A footstool according to claim 1 in which said flue is cylindricaland said heating element and baffie are circular.

5. A footstool according to claim 1, wherein said tray is covered with alayer of metallic foil.

6. In a footstool having a framework comprising lower rails and upperrails secured to leg members, supporting bars secured to and extendingbetween opposed lower rails in spaced relation, 21 flue supportingscreen member supported on said supporting bars, a transverse supporting bar secured to and extending between said first named supportingbars substantially medially thereof, heat insulating pieces disposedbetween said transverse supporting bar and said first named supportingbars, an electrical heating element secured to said transversesupporting bar substantially medially thereof, an insulating piecebetween said heating element and said transverse supporting bar, a fluemember of fireproof material resting on said screen member andsurrounding said heating element, means associated with said upper railsfor snugly retaining the upper end ofsaid flue member, a grille securedto said upper rails over said flue member, heat insulating materialbetween said grille and said .upper rails, a tray member of fireproofmaterial beneath said first named supporting barsand heating element andoverlapping'the vertical projection of said flue member in alldirections, and means for connecting said heating element to anelectrical outlet.

7. In afootstool having a framework comprising lower rails and upperrails secured .to leg members, a supplementary frame secured to saidupper rails and defining internally a square, supporting bars secured toand extending between opposed lower rails in spaced relation, a

flue supporting screen member supported on said supporting bars, atransverse supporting bar secured to and extending between said firstnamed supporting bars substantially medially thereof, heat insulatingpieces disposed between said transverse supporting bar and said firstnamed supporting bars, an electrical heating .element secured to saidtransverse supporting bar substantially mediallythereof, an insulatingpiece between said heating element and said transverse supporting bar, acylindrical flue member of fireproof material resting on said screenmember, surrounding said heating element, and extending snugly into thesquare defined .by said supplementary frame, a baffle disposed withinsaid flue member on the axis thereof and of .a size such that itsvertical projection is substantially coextensive with said heatingelement, a grille secured to said supplementary frame .over said fluemember, heat insulating material between said grille and saidsupplementary frame, a tray member of fireproof material beneath saidfirst .named supporting bars and heating element and overlapping thevertical projection of said flue member in .all directions, said traymember :being covered with a layer of metallic foil, means forcontrolling the temperature ,produced by saidheating element, andmeansfor,connectingsaid heatingelement-to an electrical outlet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,520,800 Blurne Dec. 30, '1924 1,534,221 Kercher et al. Apr. 21, 19251,566,986 Simmons Dec. 22, 1925 2,471,221 Lindstrom May 24,19492,485,880 Hawkins Oct. 25,1949 2,525-850 Andersen Oct. 17, 1950

